


Old Friends

by SoCalGirl28



Category: ER (TV 1994)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23125663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoCalGirl28/pseuds/SoCalGirl28
Summary: How the season fifteen episode Old Times should’ve gone.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Old Friends

“So you two are from Chicago. Which hospital? I used to work there.” Doug Ross asked as he got some coffee. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

The dark haired woman playing cards said. “County.” 

Doug couldn’t help but give a small laugh. What a small world. He turned around and sat down in front of them. “No kidding? I did my residency there.”

“Really?” The Indian woman with a British accent said. “I’m Neela Rasgotra, by the way. I’m a surgical resident at County.” 

“Doug Ross. Emergency Pediatrics.”

“Sam Taggart, ER nurse.” The dark haired woman said with a smile.

Doug smiled. “I spent most of my time in the ER at County. Is Kerry Weaver still kicking around?”

Neela shook her head. “She left for Florida a few years ago.”

“Peter Benton?” 

They looked at him in confusion. He had heard from Mark that Peter had ended up needing to cut back his hours because his son’s mother had died but he hadn’t realized he had left the hospital altogether. They had laughed about it over the phone because the Peter they knew in medical school and during their residency would have never done it. Parenthood had really changed him and Doug was happy for him.

“Susan Lewis?” 

They shook their heads.

“Was Abby Lockhart around when you were there?” Neela asked.

“Not while I was there but she helped deliver my daughters when she was an OB nurse.” 

Neela nodded. “She left for Boston a few months ago.” 

“What about Greg Pratt?” Sam asked.

He shook his head. 

“You’re in surgery, right?” He asked Neela. 

She nodded. 

“Is Anspaugh still there?” 

Neela exchanged grins with Sam. “Yep. Still there.” 

“What about Carter? Is he still working in the ER?” 

He couldn’t believe how much had changed over the years. Most everyone he knew from his residency years at County were gone. He knew that some of the nurses were still there because Carol kept in close contact with them. They knew some of the news like Mark’s wedding to Elizabeth Corday and the birth of their daughter that was unfortunately followed by his untimely death. But since Mark was gone, they didn’t really have anyone updating them except the nurses and Carol was more interested in their goings-on than the doctors’.

“Yeah, he’s still there but he’s on medical leave currently.” Sam said.

“What?”

“He’s in renal failure.” Neela said.

“What happened?” 

“Doctor Carter spent a few years in Africa with Doctors Without Borders. He contracted an illness there and it killed his kidneys. He came back for treatment. He’s at Northwestern now, waiting for a transplant.” Sam explained. 

Doug shook his head in disbelief. “Is one of the kidneys going to him? It’s bound for Northwestern.” 

“I don’t know. I can call and ask if you’d like.” Neela said with a shrug.

“Would you? He’s an old buddy.” 

“Did you two work together?” Sam asked.

“More like he worked under me. He was a med student and an intern when I worked at County.”

Neela smiled. “I was his medical student.”

“Oh? Carter’s all grown up now.” Doug smirked. 

“Yep. I’ll put a call through to the attending who’s performing the transplant at Northwestern and see who the patient is.” 

“Thanks.” Doug nodded.

Carol stuck her head back in the room and he knew that was his cue that his break was over. It was time to go back and resume his challenge of getting this grandmother to realize her grandson was gone but that he could save many other people. 

It was a few hours later that he convinced the grandmother to sign the paperwork. They were getting ready to start the procurement procedure when Rasgotra pulled him aside.

“It is going to Doctor Carter.” She said quietly. 

He nodded. “Thank you.” 

“No problem. I’ll tell him you said hi. Or rather, Sam will. I’ve got to get the heart to County, she’s going to Northwestern.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll write a note she can leave for him.”

She nodded and headed back to the waiting room. Doug grabbed Carol and pulled her into his office. 

“Doug.” She protested. 

“One of the kidneys is going to Carter.”

“Carter, Carter? John Carter?” She asked, astonished.

Doug nodded seriously. “He apparently contracted an illness while volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. He’s in renal failure.”

“The stabbing probably contributed to it. His kidneys were already weak.” Carol said. 

Doug nodded. “I was thinking of writing him a note. Just something to help him get through recovery.”

Carol smiled. “Doug, that’s so sweet. It’s a great idea.” 

“Rasgotra said Taggart is dropping off the kidney, we can give the note to her.” 

Carol nodded.

———

Several hours later and two thousand miles away, Doctor John Carter was being wheeled into recovery with a brand new kidney. 

Peter Benton was glad he could be there for his former protege. He would never admit this aloud to Carter but he almost thought of him like a little brother. An annoying, persistent little brother but family all the same. He was mad at Carter’s biological family though. He knew they weren’t very close, the only member who had bothered to show up when he had been stabbed was his grandmother. His own parents didn’t turn up until three weeks later. It made Peter irrationally angry at them. None of them were here now. Carter hadn’t even informed them because he knew they wouldn’t be there for him.

He’d have to bring Cleo and Reese for a visit during Carter’s stay. He’d probably enjoy it since he had obviously learned not to rely on people. He hadn’t even tried to call his wife because he was so sure she wouldn’t be bothered. 

He stopped at the nurses desk to ask if he had any messages. 

“Anything for me?” He asked.

“For you, no. But a letter came with the kidney. I’m supposed to give it to Doctor Carter when he wakes up.” 

Peter furrowed his eyebrows together. A letter had come with a transplant organ? That had to be a first. Maybe it was from the family of the donor wishing the new owner well. 

“I’ll take it in.” He said, holding his hand out for the letter. 

She handed over a sealed envelope with _John Carter, MD_ written on the front. Peter startled. He recognized that handwriting. He hadn’t seen it in ten years but he had done his residency with the man it belonged to and it was ingrained in his brain. It was the handwriting of his old friend, Doug Ross. 

“Are you okay, Doctor Benton?” The nurse behind the desk asked. 

Peter realized he had been staring at the letter for about a minute. “Yeah, it’s just from an old friend. I didn’t expect it. Thank you.”

She nodded.

He left the nurses station, grabbing a few charts to catch up on along the way and made his way into the recovery room of Carter. He contemplated the letter while sitting at his bedside waiting for him to wake up from the anesthesia. 

Peter hadn’t stayed in touch with Ross when he left. Doug had always been closer to Mark than him but they had been friends since medical school. They exchanged Christmas and Birthday cards but that was the extent of their communication these days. 

At least an hour must’ve passed while he was reminiscing because he heard a groan of pain from the bed. 

Carter turn his head towards him. “Ow.”

Peter grabbed the PCA button and gave it to him. “Push for Morphine. I made sure they didn’t give you Fentanyl.”

Carter grimaced but did it. He was probably still worried about his past addiction problems with narcotics and Peter resolved to keep a close eye on his recovery. He didn’t want Carter to backslide into it again. At least this time there wasn’t any trauma associated with his pain.

“You’re still here.” Carter said.

Peter shrugged dismissively. He couldn’t let Carter know he was worried about him. “I didn’t want to miss all the fun.” 

Carter gave a small smile. “What about Reese?”

“He’s at home with Cleo.” 

Carter grinned teasingly. “Hmm, Cleo.”

“Yep.” 

“So how did it go?” 

Peter lifted the catheter bag. 

“That is a beautiful sight.” Carter said.

“800 CCs of liquid gold.” 

Carter smiled.

“You received a letter with your new kidney.” 

“A letter?” 

“I think it’s from Doug Ross.” 

“Doug Ross? Why would Doctor Ross be sending me a letter with a kidney?” 

“I don’t know. Want me to read it?” 

“Sure.” 

Peter opened the letter and glanced at the signature at the bottom. It _was_ from Doug and Carol. 

He read it aloud. 

_”Dear Carter,_

_We heard from your colleagues at County who were transporting two of the organs that you were receiving one of the kidneys from Doug’s patient._

_We were surprised and worried to hear this. We hope you recover well and want to hear from you._

_Get well soon,_

_Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway._

“There’s an email address written on the bottom.” Peter said. 

“How weird. I got a new kidney because of them.” Carter said.

“It’s a small world.” 

“I guess so. I’ll send them an email in a few days. Let them know the surgery went well.” 

“Tell then I say hello.” 

Carter nodded. “Can you do me a favor?” 

“Sure.”

“Are my personal belongs around here somewhere?”

“Yeah, right here.”

“Can you get my cell phone out of my bag and speed dial a number?” 

“Sure.”

“There’s a-“

“I know how to work a cellphone, John.” 

“It’s under K, for Kem.” 

Peter nodded, dialed the number and gave the phone to Carter. 

He left the room. It was a strange world. He was happy to know that Carter would be okay. It was time to go home to his family.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s weird writing for ER again. I started getting into fanfiction with ER and it was the first I wrote for (awfully, it was 15 years ago). I’ve now come full circle.


End file.
